1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to communication cables.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conductors that are not physically connected to one another may nonetheless be coupled together electrically and/or magnetically. This coupling creates undesirable signals in adjacent conductors referred to as crosstalk. By placing two elongated conductors (e.g., wires) alongside each other in close proximity (referred to as a “compact pair arrangement”), a common axis can be approximated. The compact pair arrangement is often sufficient to avoid crosstalk if other similar pairs of conductors are in close proximity to the first pair of conductors. Further, if the opposing currents in the conductors are equal, magnetic field “leakage” from the conductors will decrease rapidly as the longitudinal distance along the conductors is increased. If the voltages are also opposite and equal, an electric field primarily concentrated between the conductors will also decrease as the longitudinal distance along the conductors is increased. Twisting the pairs of conductors will tend to negate the residual field couplings and allow closer spacing of adjacent pairs. On the other hand, if for some reason the conductors within a pair are spaced far enough apart, undesired coupling and crosstalk may occur.